In awe before the commander of the army of God - 20 May 2026
Imogen Campbell
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand … 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him,'What message does my Lord have for his servant?' The commander of the Lord’s army replied, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so. Joshua 5:13-15, NIV
The sandals are back in the picture. Once again, like in the Exodus 3 account with Moses, a holy God appears, this time as the commander of the army of the Lord and commands that the sandals be removed. Joshua is the one called to obey.
It comes across that Joshua may have felt quite comfortable approaching this man face to face at first, but upon hearing his words fell face down in reverence. The commander made it clear who was in charge. This encounter is widely understood as a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.
What a relief it must have been for Joshua though – when the prospect of earthly battles met the Divine. Joshua was told that Jericho had been delivered into his hands – the method of marching with trumpets and shouting – a most unusual offensive strategy to be sure. Yet, Joshua obeyed.
The Bible reveals that there will be a final battle when God will set things aright. At that time, a man will appear who judges with justice and wages war. (Revelation 19:11-16)
The passage is clearly understood to describe Jesus. He walked the dusty streets of Galilee two thousand years ago. He died as the Lamb of God, but when He comes back, He will be roaring as the Lion of Judah. His absolute authority will be indisputable. Philippians 2:10-11 reveals that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
MercyMe’s song, "I Can Only Imagine" sums it up like this:
"Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine" " (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRPGRdbGHSs)
We love to imagine the moment when we meet Jesus, but will we be able to stand in his presence? Joshua did not imagine it – he met, fell face down and revered God. The One who ultimately wins the battles, also calls us to stand, trust, obey and follow him. Will I? Will you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for conquering death and fighting our battles, you deserve all praise. We glorify you, God. Amen.